Chapter 23

Huh? The shrimp and crab roe wontons she mentioned…

Bai Yuanzhi stared at Zhou Zhaodi. “Speak up, why do you suddenly need so much money?”

A bad guess rose in her heart, and she instinctively glanced at Zhou Zhaodi’s abdomen…

However, Zhou Zhaodi was as thin as a rake, her belly completely flat.

Zhou Zhaodi said, “I’m going for surgery!”

Bai Yuanzhi’s unease deepened. Frowning, she asked, “What kind of surgery?”

Zhou Zhaodi replied, “Breast augmentation!”

Bai Yuanzhi was stunned. “What did you say?”

Zhou Zhaodi stamped her foot angrily. “Breast augmentation, breast augmentation, breast augmentation! Can’t you understand human speech?”

As she spoke, Zhou Zhaodi began shouting indignantly, “That bitch Vivian! Brother Xiao clearly liked me first. He’s been requesting me for a whole week…”

“Requesting you for what?” Bai Yuanzhi asked, her voice trembling.

Zhou Zhaodi said impatiently, “He specifically asks for me to serve in his private room! Brother Xiao is really nice and rich. Every time he comes, he puts all the drinks under my name and gives generous tips… He requested me for a whole week, and I earned almost five hundred dollars!”

“Ah, Third Sister, don’t interrupt me! I haven’t even gotten to the main point yet!”

Zhou Zhaodi continued, “I could have earned even more, but that bitch Vivian deliberately spilled tea all over me, forcing me to change my uniform. By the time I got back to the private room, she was already kneeling at Brother Xiao’s feet!”

Bai Yuanzhi wanted to ask what Vivian was doing kneeling at Brother Xiao’s feet…

But she really didn’t want to speak, feeling it was nothing good.

Zhou Zhaodi went on by herself, “…After that, Brother Xiao didn’t want to request me anymore! He started requesting Vivian instead! Third Sister, I’m so angry! Today I went to find Brother Xiao, but you know what? He told me not to work as a waiter at the nightclub anymore! He even said I should focus on my studies from now on… Third Sister, tell me, is Brother Xiao sick?”

“The most infuriating thing is that bitch Vivian! She bumped into me with her chest out and told me Brother Xiao would never like a washboard like me! She said Brother Xiao only likes busty girls like her!”

“Third Sister, lend me three thousand dollars! I already asked Sister Lian, and she said her friend had breast augmentation surgery with great results…”

“Third Sister! Third Sister, Third Sister, Third Sister! Just agree, lend me three thousand!” Zhou Zhaodi started shouting loudly, “I’ll pay you back double in the future…”

Bai Yuanzhi took a deep breath—

Then swung her hand,

“Slap!” She slapped Zhou Zhaodi hard across the face.

Zhou Zhaodi froze.

“Zhou Zhaodi, are you awake now?” Bai Yuanzhi asked word by word.

Zhou Zhaodi fell silent for a moment, then suddenly screamed, “Call me Zhou Zhaoer! Zhou Zhaoer! I’m not Zhou Zhaodi! If you dare call me Zhou Zhaodi again, I’ll call you Zhou Pandi!”

“Why can you change your name but I can’t?”

“Why are you my own sister but refuse to support me?”

“Why? Why?” Zhou Zhaodi questioned hysterically.

“So you’re ruining yourself just to get back at me?” Bai Yuanzhi asked coldly.

Zhou Zhaodi gritted her teeth, “Then will you take care of me?”

“No—I—won’t!” Bai Yuanzhi replied word by word.

The glimmer of hope in Zhou Zhaodi’s eyes extinguished once again, “Since you don’t want to take care of me, why did you hit me?”

Bai Yuanzhi said, “Because when you say you want me to take care of you, you mean you want to lie flat and do nothing, just leech off me… But when I say I’ll take care of you, I mean I’ll send you to study, make you learn a skill!”

“Zhou Zhaodi, if you want to study or learn a trade, then I can take care of you,” Bai Yuanzhi stated.

Hearing this, Zhou Zhaodi’s face lit up with joy, “That’s not impossible either…”

Bai Yuanzhi continued, “But you’ll have to pay for it yourself first! For example, if you attend night school, after you get your high school diploma, I can reimburse your tuition. Or if you learn a skill, once you find a job in that field, I can also reimburse the training fees…”

Zhou Zhaodi blurted out, “Then, then give me money for plastic surgery, so I can enter beauty pageants and become Miss Hong Kong in the future…”

“No,” Bai Yuanzhi flatly refused.

Zhou Zhaodi widened her eyes, “Why not?”

Bai Yuanzhi explained, “I’m only willing to spend money on knowledge and skills for you—things you learn will belong to you forever.”

“As for beauty treatments or breast augmentation, those have nothing to do with knowledge or skills. I won’t take care of that.”

“Alright, don’t try to find loopholes to convince me to invest in this or that for you.”

“Since I’m the one paying, I have the final say!” Bai Yuanzhi declared word by word, “I won’t give you a single cent for breast augmentation!”

Zhou Zhaodi’s eyes reddened with anger, “You… you’re utterly cold and heartless!”

“So, have your Hong Kong residency procedures been completed or not?” Bai Yuanzhi asked again.

Zhou Zhaodi said resentfully, “No!”

Bai Yuanzhi frowned, “Why not? Didn’t your mother handle it for you?”

Zhou Zhaodi angrily retorted, “Zhou Pandi is your mother too!”

Without another word, Bai Yuanzhi raised her hand and slapped her!

Smack!

The crisp sound of the slap echoed.

Zhou Zhaodi covered her cheek in shock.

“Don’t try to provoke me,” Bai Yuanzhi said coldly, “because our positions are different.”

“You should understand that, from your perspective, you should be grateful for our blood ties. Don’t try to take advantage of me… because I might very well be the only one who can save you when you reach the end of your life.”

“But from my perspective, you’re just a burden. If you annoy me, you won’t benefit from it.”

Zhou Zhaodi stared at Bai Yuanzhi in disbelief.

Bai Yuanzhi asked again, “Zhou Zhaoer, why didn’t your mother handle your residency procedures?”

Zhou Zhaodi burst into tears, “Why else! Even you look down on me! How could she not? You told me to go to her and ask her to handle it. She told me to come to you, saying you have status too, and you’re my own sister. She told you to help me! Neither of you wants me, wuwu… I hate you both!”

Bai Yuanzhi said, “I don’t care what method you use, but within a month, you must obtain Hong Kong residency. Otherwise… you might be kicked out.”

Zhou Zhaodi was startled, “What? Why… why is that?”

As soon as the words were spoken, Zhou Zhaodi suddenly remembered that when she first arrived in Hong Kong, Bai Yuanzhi had said she would only take care of her for three months.

Counting carefully, it seemed those three months were almost up?

Zhou Zhaodi’s heart pounded wildly with fear. “Third Sister, you… you…”

Bai Yuanzhi said, “I already spoke with Aunt Huang today about this apartment…”

Zhou Zhaodi nearly despaired, thinking, could it be that Bai Yuanzhi was going to give up the lease tomorrow?

“…I can extend the lease for at most one more month,” Bai Yuanzhi said.

Zhou Zhaodi was stunned for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief.

She patted her chest, still shaken. “You scared me to death!”

Bai Yuanzhi continued, “Now that my workplace provides accommodation, there’s no need for me to spend money on rent anymore. So, you’d better hurry and get your temporary residency permit for Hong Kong. Otherwise, Aunt Huang won’t sign a rental contract with you.”

Zhou Zhaodi grumbled, “Mom refuses to help me with the paperwork. What can I do?”

Her eyes darted around, and she pleaded with Bai Yuanzhi, “Third Sister, how about… you go talk to Mom for me?”

Then she added in a coquettish tone, “Third Sister, I’m still young and don’t understand anything. Please help me!”

Bai Yuanzhi replied, “Aren’t you quite skilled at this? When you see your mom tomorrow, just use the same tactics you used on me today. I guarantee she’ll take you to get it done right away…”

Seeing that Bai Yuanzhi wouldn’t help her, Zhou Zhaodi’s face immediately fell. “Then you’re not taking care of me either, are you?”

Bai Yuanzhi said, “I’ve already said what needed to be said. Whether you listen or act on it is up to you.”

She paid no more attention to Zhou Zhaodi.

After their argument, she actually felt a bit hungry. So, she opened the bowl of fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles that A Yao had cooked for her, sat down, and began to eat.

Ah, it was absolutely divine from the very first bite!

Just the broth alone was incredibly flavorful!

Bai Yuanzhi felt pleased, thinking that A Yao’s cooking skills seemed to have improved even more.

Such delicious fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles—it was a shame to just sell them at a makeshift street stall.

Once she had the money, she would definitely sponsor a proper shop for A Yao.

By then, they could build up the reputation of the fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles and surely make a fortune!

Nearby, Zhou Zhaodi was also entranced by the aroma of the fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles. “Third Sister, what are you eating… It smells so good! Let me have a taste too!”

Bai Yuanzhi gave her one fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton.

After eating it, Zhou Zhaodi exclaimed in amazement, “Wow, this is so much better than hamburgers and fried chicken… Third Sister, give me a few more!”

Bai Yuanzhi ignored her and finished about ninety percent of the bowl of fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles. She couldn’t eat the last few bites of Bamboo Pole Noodles and the remaining bit of broth.

Zhou Zhaodi, who had been eyeing the bowl for a long time, snatched it and devoured the leftover noodles and broth, letting out a satisfied sigh. “So delicious!”

That night, Zhou Zhaodi didn’t seem to plan on going out again.

After bathing and changing, Bai Yuanzhi lay in bed reading a book, thinking about what she needed to do the next day:

—The batch of sauces Mrs. Xu had ordered from her was ready. She needed to go to the factory to inspect the goods and then figure out how to deliver them to Mrs. Xu.

—She had to hurry and enroll in night school.

After all, getting her qualifications as soon as possible was also very important.

—She also needed Zhou Weihao to accompany her to apply for the company’s business license.

Speaking of that, there were many things to handle, and the most important one was still the capital verification!

The money for her house was all provided by Zhou Weihao,

and if she were to extort money from Zhou Weihao again to start a company… that would be rather impolite.

But even if she counted every penny she had, it only added up to nearly seven thousand Hong Kong dollars: three thousand of which came from her eldest sister Zhou Sier, and the remaining four thousand were hard-earned savings from her labor.

However, she heard that the capital verification required to start a company started at two hundred thousand.

Ah, how difficult!

Two hundred thousand…

How long would it take her to save that much!

But registering a company and obtaining a business license were also crucial matters. To do business and earn big money, having a legitimate company was indispensable.

Bai Yuanzhi drifted into sleep, her mind hazy with calculations.

Early the next morning, shortly after Bai Yuanzhi got up, Zhou Zhaodi also rose.

Bai Yuanzhi asked her, “So early?”

Zhou Zhaodi felt somewhat uneasy. “I had a fight with Vivian yesterday… and now she’s Xiao Ge’s favorite. So, I got fired from the nightclub. I’ll follow your advice first and go find Mom today to help me with the procedures to stay in Hong Kong. In the afternoon, after Sister Lian wakes up, I’ll ask her if there are any other ways to help me find another job.”

Bai Yuanzhi looked at Zhou Zhaodi. “You should keep your distance from Sister Lian.”

Zhou Zhaodi snorted. “If I don’t associate with her, should I associate with you? Then find me a job! Don’t forget, I’m an undocumented person! Who would be willing to hire me?”

Bai Yuanzhi said, “You can ask Sister Wen, like me, to work as a promoter in a supermarket.”

Zhou Zhaodi was taken aback, hesitated for a long time, and asked about the salary.

Bai Yuanzhi told her honestly.

Zhou Zhaodi sat on the lower bunk without saying a word.

It was clear that Zhou Zhaodi was wrestling with conflicting thoughts in her mind.

Bai Yuanzhi sighed, gave Zhou Zhaodi some instructions, packed her things, and left. She first went to greet Sister Wen before hurrying to the Bilanting Hotel.

She still chose to arrive at 7:50 a.m.

Just like yesterday, almost all the on-duty colleagues had already arrived and were lined up, collectively receiving instructions from Sister Marry.

Seeing Bai Yuanzhi arrive leisurely,

everyone turned their eyes toward her in unison.

Colleagues A Xi and Xiao Yu gave Bai Yuanzhi worried looks, while Sister Marry’s gaze at Bai Yuanzhi was as sharp as poison.

Bai Yuanzhi greeted Sister Marry openly. “Good morning, Sister Marry. It’s not even work time yet, and you’re already giving instructions?”

Sister Marry glared fiercely at Bai Yuanzhi.

She could see it now—Bai Yuanzhi didn’t take her, the supervisor, seriously at all!

Sister Marry took a few deep breaths, preparing to reprimand Bai Yuanzhi,

but Bai Yuanzhi seized the moment and spoke first, “Sister Marry, it seems the guest in Room 5 was just looking for a waiter to order a meal… What? Is everyone here? No one is attending to the guest?”

Upon hearing this, Sister Marry’s expression instantly changed!

She couldn’t care about anything else and dashed toward Room 5.

A Xi also panicked and tried to run after Sister Marry—

Bai Yuanzhi grabbed A Xi, said nothing, but quickly signaled with her eyes for A Xi to fetch the spare key.

A Xi was momentarily stunned, realizing that the guest in Room 5 might have forgotten their key. She quickly nodded, rushed to where the spare keys were kept, grabbed one, and ran off.

After Sister Marry left, the remaining waitstaff and cleaners exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of what to do next.

Bai Yuanzhi asked Xiao Yu, “It’s already 8 o’clock. Have the guests in rooms one, two, three, four, and six gone out? Should we start the daily maintenance?”

Xiao Yu nodded blankly.

And so, Bai Yuanzhi and Xiao Yu began their daily tasks.

Meanwhile, when Sister Marry rushed to the door of room five, she indeed found the guest waiting outside.

Sister Marry quickly greeted the guest in heavily accented English, fawningly asking what meal he would like.

The guest frowned.

It wasn’t until A Xi hurried over with the spare key, greeted the guest, and learned that he had forgotten his key that she promptly used the spare key to open the door for him.

The guest’s expression softened slightly. He pulled a twenty-dollar bill from his pocket and handed it to A Xi as a tip.

A Xi accepted it happily and returned to her post in high spirits.

Sister Marry was furious.

She turned to look for Bai Yuanzhi.

But Bai Yuanzhi was nowhere to be found.

It took about half an hour before Sister Marry finally saw Bai Yuanzhi coming downstairs.

“Bai Yuanzhi!” Sister Marry was seething. “Didn’t you just say the guest in room five wanted to order a meal?”

Bai Yuanzhi played dumb. “Huh? Didn’t he? He was speaking English, and I couldn’t understand him… so I was just guessing! Sister Marry, was I right?”

Sister Marry’s chest heaved with rage.

“Bai Yuanzhi! You have to give me an explanation today! No one acts as insubordinate as you do! As a subordinate, you defy your superiors, show no respect, and refuse to follow orders… If you don’t want this job, then pack your things and leave!”

Bai Yuanzhi replied, “Sister Marry, you’re wrong about that.”

“First of all, I’m a full-time employee who signed a work agreement with the hotel. You want to fire me? Sorry, but you don’t have that authority. And don’t get upset, Sister Marry. If your English isn’t good enough to read the English version of the employment contract, you can always check the Chinese version.”

“The Chinese version clearly states that after I signed a one-year employment contract with the hotel, they cannot fire me without cause. In other words, if you want to fire me, you need to provide a legitimate reason. For example, if I violated hotel regulations by being late, leaving early, or skipping work…”

“If I haven’t broken any hotel rules, what right do you have to fire me?”

“Secondly, if you don’t like me and want to fire me, that’s not impossible,” Bai Yuanzhi sincerely advised Sister Marry. “You can apply to the HR department. As long as Mr. Zhou agrees, the hotel will pay me the penalty for breach of contract, and then you can fire me as you wish!”

At this, Bai Yuanzhi gave Sister Marry a provocative smile.

Truth be told, she really wanted to say that Sister Marry’s tactics were nothing impressive.

And now she had even brought up Zhou Weihao first…

Sure enough, as soon as Sister Marry heard Bai Yuanzhi mention Zhou Weihao, her plump face turned pale, then purple, then red with anger.

“What exactly is your relationship with Mr. Zhou?” Sister Marry asked through gritted teeth.

Bai Yuanzhi displayed just the right amount of shyness and pride, “Oh, we’re just ordinary friends!”

Sister Marry stared at Bai Yuanzhi and sneered, “You and Mr. Zhou… are just ordinary friends? Then why did he let you ride in his car yesterday?”

Bai Yuanzhi looked puzzled, “I just rode in Mr. Zhou’s car, is that not allowed?”

Sister Marry was provoked again, “Yesterday, did he not come home all day because of you?”

Bai Yuanzhi let out an “ah,” growing even more confused, “I already said we’re just friends! It’s perfectly normal for friends to go out for a meal or take a walk together, isn’t it?”

Bai Yuanzhi even retorted confidently, “Sister Marry, you’re just my supervisor, you have no right to question what I do after work! Please don’t ask me such questions again in the future!”

Sister Marry was nearly furious, “Bai Yuanzhi! Do you know—Zhou Weihao has a girlfriend?”

She thought that saying this would make Bai Yuanzhi back down, or at least show a guilty expression…

But to her surprise—

Bai Yuanzhi said loudly, “I know! Yesterday, Mr. Zhou already told me about his relationship with his girlfriend… but what does that matter?”

“Sister Marry, you’re really strange. Mr. Zhou and I are just ordinary friends! Why are you interrogating me unreasonably like a wife whose husband has cheated?”

“Besides, it’s still working hours… do you really have to bring up my personal matters during work time? Sister Marry, if you insist on doing this, I can file a complaint against you!” Bai Yuanzhi declared firmly without backing down.

Sister Marry was almost fuming with anger!

This was the first time she had encountered someone as defiant as Bai Yuanzhi.

She wished she could fire Bai Yuanzhi right now! She even wanted to slap Bai Yuanzhi a few times!

But the last shred of reason in her mind told her,

She couldn’t do that.

As Bai Yuanzhi had said, it was working hours, and as a supervisor, she shouldn’t be discussing personal matters unrelated to work…

And so, after glaring at Bai Yuanzhi with hatred, Sister Marry stormed off angrily.

As soon as Sister Marry left, all the coworkers rushed over and surrounded Bai Yuanzhi.

A Xi took out the twenty-dollar tip she had just received from a customer and handed it to Bai Yuanzhi, “Ah Zhi, this is for you!”

Then she recounted how the customer had given Sister Marry a dirty look and tipped her right in front of Sister Marry.

Everyone huddled together, giggling quietly, and started chattering:

“Serves her right! I can’t stand her! She’s just a Filipina domestic helper, but she acts like the hotel owner’s wife, always helping the boss exploit us!”

“No, the boss doesn’t want to exploit us, it’s that Filipina sister who wants to be a dog…”

“Ah Zhi, you’re really amazing! I wish I could be like you and not live here! I also want to follow the hotel’s official working hours…”

“Ah Zhi, aren’t you afraid Sister Marry will fire you for standing up to her? This job… pays pretty well!”

“If Ah Zhi hadn’t been fired, I’d move out too! Because of this job, I already broke up with my boyfriend. I’m not young anymore—it’s time to start looking for a boyfriend!”

…

Everyone chatted lively and cheerfully.

Bai Yuanzhi pushed away the twenty dollars A Xi handed over. “The customer tipped you, so you should keep it!”

 

Ah Xi shook her head repeatedly. “You were the one who handled the guest, so this tip should go to you…”

Bai Yuanzhi thought for a moment. “Well, how about using it to buy soda? One can for each of us?”

Ah Xi nodded. “Alright, I’ll take this money to buy soda. Tomorrow, Ah Zhi is treating everyone!”

Xiao Yu asked Bai Yuanzhi, “Ah Zhi, the guest in Room 5 was a foreigner. He doesn’t speak Mandarin or Cantonese, so how did you know he forgot his key?”

Bai Yuanzhi paused briefly, then smiled. “I guessed.”

After chatting, everyone returned to their posts and got back to work.

Throughout the entire morning, Bai Yuanzhi waited for Sister Marry to make her move.

Unexpectedly, by noon at twelve o’clock, Sister Marry still hadn’t appeared.

So, after finishing her shift, Bai Yuanzhi slung her small bag over her shoulder and walked to the side entrance used by staff.

Zhou Weihao was already waiting by the door in his car, as agreed the day before.

Bai Yuanzhi got into the car without hesitation.

It seemed Zhou Weihao was in a very good mood today.

He asked Bai Yuanzhi with a smile, “So, Miss Contract Girlfriend, what are the plans for today?”

Suddenly, Bai Yuanzhi remembered A Yao’s shrimp wonton with crab roe noodles and couldn’t help but sigh.

“What’s wrong? You seem a bit unhappy,” Zhou Weihao keenly picked up on Bai Yuanzhi’s mood. “Did Marry give you a hard time?”

Bai Yuanzhi replied honestly, “She did target me… but that’s not why I’m unhappy. It’s because I could have taken you to eat some really delicious shrimp wonton with crab roe noodles, but today isn’t the day my friend sets up his stall, so I feel a bit disappointed.”

“Shrimp wonton with crab roe noodles?” Zhou Weihao nodded repeatedly. “Just hearing the name makes it sound delicious!”

After expressing his opinion, Zhou Weihao said to Bai Yuanzhi, “Well, since you don’t have any food recommendations today, how about I recommend lunch?”

Bai Yuanzhi laughed. “The one paying gets to decide!”

Zhou Weihao chuckled, started the car, and drove away with Bai Yuanzhi.

What Bai and Zhou didn’t know was that,

not far away, hidden around a street corner, Duoluoxi witnessed the entire scene.

At Zhou Weihao’s invitation, Bai Yuanzhi went to a very luxurious Western restaurant and enjoyed a delicious, albeit expensive, lunch.

Bai Yuanzhi came to understand—Zhou Weihao was also a true foodie.

Throughout the entire meal, Zhou Weihao chattered nonstop, explaining to her the different textures of sirloin steak and filet mignon, how red wine pairs better with beef ribs, and how white wine makes salads more refreshing…

Bai Yuanzhi listened attentively.

In her previous life, she had never interacted with real wealthy people, so her knowledge in this area was blank.

And so, she and Zhou Weihao shared a very harmonious meal.

After lunch, Bai Yuanzhi asked Zhou Weihao to accompany her to enroll in night school.

Zhou Weihao was very curious about night school and bombarded the school staff with questions, asking about many things in even greater detail than Bai Yuanzhi.

For example, can foreigners attend night school? Can the curriculum at night school help foreigners learn? Is it easy for foreigners to get into university? What majors are generally suitable for foreigners…

After completing the enrollment procedures,

Bai Yuanzhi and Zhou Weihao walked out together. Bai Yuanzhi asked Zhou Weihao, “You asked so many detailed questions earlier. Do you want your girlfriend to attend night school here too?”

Zhou Weihao was taken aback for a moment, then sighed, “She probably won’t come…”

“I just want to know whether the things she describes as being as high as mountains and as distant as seas are really that difficult.”

“Ah Zhi, thanks to you—now I know that for foreigners in Hong Kong City, attending night school, studying, and taking university entrance exams don’t seem all that difficult after all.”

Zhou Weihao felt somewhat dejected.

What he didn’t tell Bai Yuanzhi was,

Forget about enrolling in night school,

Even the scene of him treating Bai Yuanzhi to lunch at noon couldn’t happen between him and Duoluoxi.

When he treated Bai Yuanzhi to a meal and introduced her to how delicious the food was,

Bai Yuanzhi listened with great interest, ate heartily, and would occasionally ask questions, even bantering and joking with him… The atmosphere was very harmonious.

But if the same thing happened between him and Duoluoxi, it would be labeled as “the rich young master thinking the little maid knows nothing,” “Do you think I’m not worthy of eating such good food?” “You think I don’t understand these high-end restaurants and fancy foods,” and “You look down on me.”

Zhou Weihao’s mood sank.

Bai Yuanzhi didn’t want to bother with Zhou Weihao’s emotions.

She wasn’t his real girlfriend, so why should she be responsible for his feelings?

Right now, she just wanted to see if she could get more benefits.

“Brother Hao, I’m facing a difficult problem now, and I wonder if you could help me think of a solution?” Bai Yuanzhi spoke up.

Zhou Weihao’s attention shifted, “Tell me about it.”

Bai Yuanzhi then explained her desire to start a company.

Zhou Weihao was utterly shocked, “No way, yesterday you wanted to buy a house, and today you want to start a company?”

Bai Yuanzhi chuckled, “It’s not a spur-of-the-moment idea! Buying a house and starting a company are things I’ve been thinking about for a very, very long time…”

Then she detailed how she had received Mrs. Xu’s order and added, “If I don’t have my own company, I can only ask these clients to accommodate me… But that’s not a long-term solution. After much thought, I feel I should still start a company to legitimately take orders!”

After hearing this, Zhou Weihao respected her even more, “Ah Zhi, you’re truly impressive!”

“But I also need to make things clear—the 100,000 for your house purchase was already agreed upon, and I’ve already paid it.”

“Now you’re saying you want another 200,000 to start a company… I’m sorry, I’m not an angel investor. Although I’m not short of 200,000, given our relationship… I don’t think it’s worth it for me to provide that 200,000,” Zhou Weihao said honestly.

Bai Yuanzhi nodded repeatedly.

Zhou Weihao continued, “If you want my opinion, I can tell you that what I can do to help is make you a part-time salesperson at my company…”

“Yes, I also own a trading company.”

“I can offer you a modest base salary, with no requirement for you to work regular office hours. If you secure orders, have your clients place them through my company. I can even advance the payment for the goods on your behalf.”

“After the orders are completed, we can pay you commissions and discounts according to the terms we agree on in advance,” Zhou Weihao explained.

Upon hearing this, Bai Yuanzhi happily spun around in place, “That’s wonderful, Mr. Zhou! Thank you so much!”

She glanced at her wristwatch and saw it wasn’t yet time for the afternoon workday to end, so she asked Zhou Weihao, “Brother Hao, can we go to your company to sign the contract today?”

“Sure,” Zhou Weihao agreed without hesitation.

And so, Zhou Weihao drove Bai Yuanzhi to his trading company.

There, Bai Yuanzhi met Zhou Weihao’s partner, Lin Danni.

Lin Danni was an unremarkable-looking young man. After hearing Zhou Weihao’s explanation, he promptly produced a part-time employment contract and signed it with Bai Yuanzhi.

The contract stipulated that Bai Yuanzhi would receive a monthly part-time salary of two hundred yuan and was required to attend the company’s lunch meetings every Saturday at noon. Since the company held its weekly reporting sessions during Saturday lunches, Bai Yuanzhi’s participation would help her better understand the company’s development.

The contract also specified that for any orders Bai Yuanzhi secured independently, she could set both the acquisition and selling prices herself. The company would take five percent as a platform fee, and the remaining price difference would be paid to Bai Yuanzhi in the form of a “bonus.”

Having resolved two matters in a single day filled Bai Yuanzhi with joy.

After leaving Zhou Weihao’s company, she thanked him repeatedly.

Zhou Weihao chuckled, “I didn’t really help you with the night school matter. As for your part-time job at my company… honestly, I’m taking a five percent cut from you. Why are you thanking me?”

Bai Yuanzhi grinned from ear to ear. “Anyway, I still want to thank you! Goodbye, Brother Hao. I should head back now.”

Zhou Weihao laughed heartily. “Ah Zhi, I thought you’d invite me to a meal as a thank-you.”

Bai Yuanzhi smiled faintly.

Indeed, she had considered treating Zhou Weihao to a meal as a gesture of gratitude.

But—

“I’ll take you for fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles next time my friend sets up her stall!” Bai Yuanzhi said cheerfully. “Not today, though. Starting tomorrow evening, I’ll be attending night school. I’m so excited that I want to go home early and start reading.”

Zhou Weihao smiled and drove Bai Yuanzhi to the entrance of Xingfu Building before leaving.

Then, Zhou Weihao drove home.

As soon as he stepped inside—

He sensed something was off.

Usually, no matter when he returned home, the dining table would always be set with steaming hot dishes, and Duoluoxi would be sitting on the sofa, watching TV while waiting for him.

But today, the house was eerily quiet.

The TV was off, Duoluoxi wasn’t on the sofa, and the dining table was empty.

Zhou Weihao stood at the doorway for a while before calling out Duoluoxi’s name.

There was no response.

Faint sobbing sounds came from the bedroom.

After a few moments of silence, Zhou Weihao walked toward the bedroom.

He pushed the door open—

Duoluoxi was lying on the bed, weeping softly.

When she saw him, she lifted her head, revealing a face streaked with tears.

Zhou Weihao remained where he stood.

He knew perfectly well—Duoluoxi must have already learned from Marry about his close relationship with Bai Yuanzhi, which was why she was crying.

He had even anticipated this.

He had guessed Duoluoxi would cry,

and he had even prepared himself to comfort her.

He should tell Duoluoxi that there was nothing between him and Bai Yuanzhi—that he had helped Bai Yuanzhi because he saw her desire to attend night school, recognized her as a girl with dreams, and admired her ambition to pursue her own career.

He wished Duoluoxi would say to him: I also want to attend night school, I also want to have a career, why won’t you help me?

Then he could take Duoluoxi into his arms and comfort her properly.

And then—

He would arrange for Duoluoxi to go to school, even support her to study abroad at a prestigious university. That way, Duoluoxi would become a top student from a famous university, giving her confidence so she wouldn’t have to worry about others still seeing her as a Filipina domestic helper.

He could also support Duoluoxi in doing what she wanted, just like Bai Yuanzhi wanting to start a company… Duoluoxi was his girlfriend, and whatever she wanted to do—even if she wanted to open a restaurant or a bakery—he would support her!

But after following Bai Yuanzhi to inquire about the night school’s admission requirements,

and looking at Duoluoxi, who was now crying her eyes out in front of him,

Zhou Weihao suddenly didn’t want to say anything anymore.

He just felt tired.

Duoluoxi’s sobbing continued without end.

Zhou Weihao opened his mouth, his heart softening.

He thought to himself, she’s still too timid…

He shouldn’t rush things.

“Duoluoxi…” Zhou Weihao had just called her name, not yet having the chance to comfort her,

when the phone at home started ringing loudly.

Zhou Weihao, who was about to walk toward Duoluoxi, paused mid-step.

At that moment,

for some reason, Zhou Weihao suddenly felt relieved.

“Duoluoxi, I’ll go answer the phone first.” After saying that, he turned and left the bedroom.

The call was from Ming Jiayao.

“Ahao, are you free?” Ming Jiayao’s troubled and frustrated voice came through the receiver.

Zhou Weihao immediately replied, “I’m free… what’s wrong?”

“I’m in a bad mood, want to come out for a few drinks?” Ming Jiayao asked.

Zhou Weihao didn’t hesitate, “Where?”

Ming Jiayao, “My place… not the one in Half Bay, it’s Wutong Garden. Drive to the underground parking lot, I’ll have Ah Wu pick you up.”

Zhou Weihao asked, “Not going to Nightfall?”

—Nightfall Nightclub was the most luxurious money-burning den in Hong Kong City.

Ming Jiayao was speechless, “Ahao, I’m not of age yet.”

Zhou Weihao couldn’t help but laugh, “Then why did you say ‘a few drinks’?”

“Can’t it be cola?”

Zhou Weihao held back his laughter, “Sure, sure!”

Ming Jiayao, “Hurry over, I made soup… and fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles!”

Zhou Weihao was taken aback.

For some reason,

the fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles Ming Jiayao mentioned reminded him of the fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles Bai Yuanzhi had talked about.

Why is this thing so delicious that so many people keep thinking about it?

“Ahao.” Duoluoxi’s timid voice sounded.

Zhou Weihao turned around and saw Duoluoxi standing at the entrance in her pajamas, disheveled and unkempt.

She had probably overheard his phone conversation and cautiously asked him, “You just got back, and now you’re going out again?”

Zhou Weihao really didn’t want to respond to her.

“Yeah, a friend is in a bad mood and asked me out for drinks. I… I’m leaving now. Don’t wait up for me tonight, go to sleep first!” After saying that, Zhou Weihao grabbed his car keys and hurried out the door.

Duoluoxi stared blankly at the door Zhou Weihao had closed, biting her lower lip.

“Bai—Yuan—Zhi!” Duoluoxi gritted her teeth as she muttered the name.

Author’s Note: Sorry, sorry, today’s update is late. Tomorrow night’s update will still be at 8 p.m.!

Additionally, please add the new book “The Scientific Research Officer’s Beautiful Stepmother [Eighties]” to your collection. Thank you!